effect of grades

Copyright 2001 by Allyn and Bacon

Classroom Evaluation & Grading


Overview• Formative and Summative Assessment

• Getting the Most from Traditional Assessment Approaches

• Innovations in Assessment

• Effects of Grades and Grading on Students

• Grading and Reporting: Nuts & Bolts

• Beyond Grading: Communication


Concept Map for Chapter 15

TraditionalAssessmentApproaches

Beyond Grading:Communication

Effects ofGrades & Grading

on Students

Formative &SummativeAssessment

ClassroomAssessment and

Grading

Grading & Reporting:Nuts and Bolts



Formative and Summative Assessment


• Pretests– Aid teacher in planning– Help students identify weaknesses - diagnostic– Identify weaknesses: diagnostic– Are not graded

• Data-based instruction– Also curriculum-based assessment– Frequent probes

Formative Assessments


Summative Assessments

• Occurs at the end of instruction

• Provides a summary of accomplishments

• End of chapter, midterms, final exam

• Purpose is to determine final achievement


Getting the Most from Traditional Testing


Planning for Testing

• Test frequently• Test soon after

learning• Use cumulative

questions• Preview ready-

made tests


Objective Testing

• Objective: not open to many interpretations

• Measures a broad range of material

• Multiple choice most versatile

• Lower & higher level items

• Difficult to write well

• Easy to score


Writing Test Items


Key Terms

• Test Item

• Stem

• Alternatives

• Distractors


Key Principles• Clearly written stem• Present a single problem• Avoid unessential details• State the problem in positive terms• Use `not’, ‘no’, or ‘except’ sparingly

or mark them: NOT , no, except• Do not test extremely fine

discriminationsSee Guidelines, Woolfolk pp. 560 - 561


Key Principles

• Put most wording in the stem• Check for grammatical match between

stem and alternatives• Avoid exclusive & inclusive words

– all, every, only, never, none

• Avoid two distracters with the same meaning

• Avoid exact textbook language


Key Principles• Avoid overuse of all- or none- of the

above• Use plausible distracters• Vary the position of the correct

answer• Vary the length of correct answers –

long answers are often correct• Avoid obvious patterns in the position

of your correct answer


Samples to Critique

• Each of the following test items has mistakes. Analyze each test item using the Key Principles just covered. Identify the mistake(s). Then rewrite the test item eliminating the mistakes.


Samples to Critique

1. The word “gordo” in Spanish means

a. thin

b. underweight

c. skinny

d. fat


Samples to Critique

2. A spider is an

a. marsupial

b. arachnid

c. vertebrate

d. chordate


Samples to Critique

3. Tennis courts that will require the least maintenance than any other tennis court is the tennis court whicha. is made of grassb. is made of clayc. is made of lakoldd. is made of Rubico


Samples to Critique

4. The development of the self-concept

is not principally influenced by

a. parents

b. peers

c. growth rate

d. physical appearance


Samples to Critique

5. “Culture-fair” tests are

a. always reliable

b. always valid

c. power tests

d. usually nonverbal in order to offset cultural differences in language


Essay Testing

• Requires students to create an answer

• Most difficult part is judging quality of answers

• Writing good, clear questions can be challenging


Constructing Essay Tests

• Essay tests focus on less material

• Require a clear and precise task

• Indicate the elements to be covered

• Should measure an objective at Bloom’s Synthesis (Creating) level

• Allow ample time for students to answer


Evaluating Essays: Dangers

• Problems with subjective testing

– Individual standards of the grader

–Unreliability of scoring procedures

–Bias: wordy essays often get more points

See Table 15.2, Woolfolk, p. 563


Evaluating Essays: Methods

• Construct a model answer

• Give points for each part of the answer

• Give points for organization

• Compare answers on papers that you gave comparable grades


Evaluating Essays: Methods

• Grade all responses to one question, then all responses to second question, etc.

• Have students put their names on the back of the paper

• Have another teacher in your discipline read some of your graded essays


Innovations in Assessment


Alternative Assessments

• Authentic classroom tests

• Performance in context

• See Table 15.3, Woolfolk, p. 566

See also Point/Counterpoint, P. 564-656


Performance in Context

• Portfolios• Exhibitions• Focus is on real life

applications• Focus is on mastery

of skills


Evaluating Portfolios and Performances

• Checklist and rating scales

• Scoring rubrics• Reliability, validity,

generalizability, and equity questions

• Self- and peer-evaluation

See Figure 15.3, Woolfolk, p. 570 and Guidelines, p. 571


Effects of Grading on Students


Effects of Grading

• Effects of failure

• Effects of feedback - knowing ‘why’ they were wrong

• Effects of grades on motivation• See Guidelines, Woolfolk, p. 575


Grading and Reporting:Nuts and Bolts


Criterion-Referenced

• Mastery of objectives• Criteria for grades set

in advance • Student determines

what grade they want to receive

• All students could receive an ‘A’


Norm-Referenced Grading

• Grading on the curve• Students compared to

other students• ‘Average’ becomes

the anchor for other grades

• Fairness issue• ‘Adjusting’ the curve

See Figure 15.4, Woolfolk, p. 577, and Table 15.4,, p. 578


Preparing Report Cards

• Criterion- versus norm-referenced Grading• Converting to standard scores• Point system• Percentage grading• Contract system and rubrics• Grading on effort and improvement

– ILE and Dual Marking Systems

• Caution: Being fair• See Guidelines, Woolfolk p. 583


Beyond Grading: Communication


Parent / Teacher Conferences

• Plan ahead• Start positive• Use active listening & problem solving • Establish a partnership• Plan follow-up contacts• Tell the truth!• Be prepared with samples • End positive


Summary

• Formative and Summative Assessment

• Getting the Most from Traditional Assessment Approaches

• Innovations in Assessment

• Effects of Grades and Grading on Students

• Grading and Reporting: Nuts & Bolts

• Beyond Grading: Communication


End

effect of grades

Education